Uniqlo is launching a special kabuki-inspired line to showcase Japanese traditions in pop culture through clothing.

Produced in collaboration with Shochiku Co., Ltd., a major kabuki, film and theater company in Japan, the Shochiku Kabuki x Uniqlo Collection will bow first in France on March 20, and in other markets thereafter, including the United States on March 23.

Inspired by the elaborate costumes and exaggerated stage make-up of kabuki — a classical Japanese performance art that originated during the Edo period more than 400 years ago — the collection’s design motifs include the crests and patterns of Omodaka-ya, the acting house to which Ichikawa Ennosuke IV, one of kabuki’s most popular stars and the collection’s project ambassador, belongs.

“I believe that by combining the traditional colors and patterns of kabuki with the contemporary styles of Uniqlo, we have created something that is innovative and totally new,” said Ennosuke in a statement.

Over the years, Uniqlo’s UT line of T-shirts, which first launched in 2003, has featured an array of pop culture graphics, from Ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings to manga, and this latest collaboration with Shochiku has led to kabuki-themed offerings in men’s and women’s T-shirts, bandanas and tote bags.

Jay Sakomoto, Schochiku President and CEO, said: “I believe Japan can rightfully take pride in the artistic traditions and beauty of kabuki. Working together with Uniqlo has given us the opportunity to express kabuki’s bold, yet delicate, aesthetics on clothing in a way never seen before.”

Image courtesy of Uniqlo

]]>http://blogs.artinfo.com/silhouettes/2015/02/25/uniqlos-kabuki-inspired-line-bows-march-23/feed/0Charlotte Olympia’s Cinderella limited editionhttp://blogs.artinfo.com/silhouettes/2015/02/16/charlotte-olympias-cinderella-limited-edition/
http://blogs.artinfo.com/silhouettes/2015/02/16/charlotte-olympias-cinderella-limited-edition/#commentsMon, 16 Feb 2015 08:18:26 +0000skricheffhttp://blogs.artinfo.com/silhouettes/?p=10016Piggy-backing on the release of a new Cinderella movie, Charlotte Olympia has released a capsule collection fit for a fairy tale princess.

If the Shoe Fits! platform shoes, in fully transparent PVC and Perspex and star-dusted with Swarovski crystal recreate Cinderella’s glass slipper, while the Time Piece clutch bag features a pearl-colored clock face frozen just before it strikes twelve.

The collection also includes a suede Pumpkin Pouch along with Swarovski covered court shoes in luxurious blue silk satin.

The winner of the Hugo Boss Prize 2014, Paul Chan, is exhibiting his work at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York from March 6 to May 13, the museum announced on February 11.

Comprising the first stateside presentation of Chan’s series Nonprojections (2013– ) — a series of video projectors and jury-rigged, power-conducting shoes connected by specially designed cords — the work reflects Chan’s multifaceted and often experimental oeuvre, which includes animated projections, community-based performances, conceptual typefaces, and digital and print publishing.

In Nonprojections, projectors’ lenses flicker and strobe as if outputting videos; yet there is no surface on which images could appear, rendering the would-be projections illegible phantoms. Chan likens these to “ghostly visual impressions that one conjures up in one’s mind when reading a good (or bad) book.” The exhibition will also include a new work that is described by the artist as “a sculptural animation” composed of white nylon fabric set in motion by industrial fans — evoking “an otherworldly apparition.”

The annual prize, established by the German luxury fashion brand and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1996, honors artists who have made a visionary contribution to the field of contemporary art. Chan is the 10th artist to receive the Hugo Boss Prize.

Gucci has promoted Alessandro Michele, the label’s head of accessories, to creative director, 10 days after Frida Giannini vacated the post, French luxury group Kering said on Wednesday.

You may not be the only one asking “Alessandro who?”. Michele, 42, is virtually unknown outside of Gucci and the decision to appoint him represents a gamble for Kering, which is likely betting that future sales will be driven by sales of accessories, since leather goods, particularly shoes and handbags, have emerged as one of the fastest-growing categories in luxury. Gucci, which comprises about a third of Kering’s group revenue, have slowed in recent years. Kering’s brands also include Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Yves Saint Laurent.

Kering said in a statement that Michele would be given total creative responsibility for all of the Florence-based label’s collections and brand image. Marco Bizzarri, who also took over this month, from Patrizio di Marco, as Gucci’s new CEO, said the selection of Michele was “based upon the contemporary vision he has articulated for the brand.”

Following a well-received capsule collection for Versus Versace in September 2014, Anthony Vaccarello has been appointed the brand’s new creative director, the Italian house announced Wednesday.

Vaccarello, a Paris-based designer known for skimpy, provocative clothes not unlike those once crafted by Gianni Versace himself, will be the label’s first permanent creative director since Christopher Kane left in 2012. He will be responsible for the label’s menswear and womenswear collections, starting with fall 2015, and report to Donatella Versace, artistic director of Versace, who said in a statement: “I’ve followed Anthony’s work from his very first collection, as soon as I met him I realized immediately he was the one, he gets it, his talent screams Versus Versace. I love his fresh energy and innovation and I love being surrounded by a talent which brings newness to Versace.”

That newness refers to the label’s digital strategy of “see now, buy now, wear now”; since 2013 it has allowed each collection to be immediately available to purchase online after the runway show.

“I am thrilled and honored to become creative director of Versus Versace. Donatella Versace is such an inspiration to me, and together we have many exciting plans for the future of Versus Versace,” said Vaccarello.

British shoe brand Clarks is celebrating the 65th anniversary of its iconic Desert Boot with an artist initiative: It has invited 14 UK-based artists and designers to create a one-off art piece re-interpreting the boot, as well as to design limited-edition kicks to be sold at retail from Spring 2015.

Titled ‘Clarks: Rebooted’, the collaboration taps the design talents of: Adam Ball, Adam Dant, Alexandra Llewellyn, Amy Stephens, Bob and Roberta Smith, Frank Bowling, Gordon Cheung, Kacper Hamilton, Lee Broom, Marc Quinn, Rene Gonzalez, Richard Caldicott, Thomas J. Price, and TOOGOOD. The results of the initiative will form a touring exhibition curated by Filippo Tattoni-Marcozzi, who said in a statement: “It was extremely interesting to see how each artist and designer… [applied] their own language and artistic practices in order to contribute a truly amazing limited edition design and stunning work of art, reflecting the diversity and enormous creativity that still defines London.”

The exhibition will launch at Design Shanghai (March 2015), then on to Salone del Mobile in Milan (April 2015), Frieze New York (May 2015) and finally to the London Fashion Week, London Design Festival and Frieze London from September to October. The sale of the one-off art works and of the limited-edition shoes which will be auctioned off thereafter, and proceeds will go to benefit landmine removal charity The HALO Trust.

Designed by Nathan Clark, the original Desert Boot was inspired by a rough boot from Cairo’s Old Bazaar. It quickly became the footwear of choice for off-duty army officers, before becoming a British style icon after a star turn in Quadrophenia, a 1979 film about 1960s Mod. Since the hardy Desert Boot continues to be worn in challenging environments around the world, Clarks found the HALO Trust, which dedicates itself to ensuring the safety of millions of lives around the world, to be a natural fit as the company’s charity partner for 2015.

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and Jason Wu have each created a limited edition pack for Martell Cognac.

De Castelbajac looked for inspiration in the Montmartre quarter of Paris to create ‘MontMartell me a story’, a classic white Martell VSOP bottle adorned with his drawings, while Wu has designed packaging for a Martell Noblige bottle inspired by an elegant tuxedo giving the bottle a black leather effect with gold accents.

De Castelbajac’s pack is available at international airports in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, while the Wu’s pack is available in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Style doesn’t have to be new to be stylish. Seventies style, for instance, is set to make a big comeback in 2015 and it will leave its big, bold mark on fashion, beauty and lifestyle products and campaigns throughout the year.

Fashionista will recreate the look by giving a clean, contemporary and minimalist twist to the 1970’s aesthetic. According to Jaana Jätyri, founder of Trendstop, modern seventies fashion is best represented by Celine inspired structured pieces. “The era stands for simpler, ‘pre-digital’ times in our hectic world. Many of today’s tastemakers were born in the 1970’s. They are among the last generations to remember what life was like without constant connectivity,” she explains.

Except to see clean, elegant lines and natural materials going forward. The spring collections in womenswear will feature tactile textures and warm 70’s inspired colors. The silhouette will be defined by distinct A-line shapes and structured statement pieces. Key pieces include culottes, over-the-knee skirts, clean accessories, socks with sandals and new clogs.

Adopt a natural, pared down look that carries you through the day to the evening. The hair color should be natural with fringes or central partings framing the face.

Rihanna has been named creative director of Puma, charged with overseeing the sporting goods maker’s women’s line.

The seven-time Grammy Award winner and CFDA’s Fashion Icon laureate “will work with Puma to design and customize classic Puma styles as well as create new styles to add to the Puma product portfolio,” the company said on December 16.

She will also act as the company’s global brand ambassador, joining ranks with Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, and football star striker Mario Balotelli, as well as front Puma’s ad campaign for fall 2015.

Oddly enough, the Barbadian singer is an avid fan of Adidas, one of Puma’s main rivals. Puma, struggling with falling sales and a fading brand image, probably hopes to capitalize on her social media influence — 38.3 million Twitter followers and 14.1 million Instagram followers, to be exact — to spur things on.

“Signing Rihanna is a fantastic step for Puma,” said Puma’s chief executive officer Bjørn Gulden. “Her global profile, her charisma and individuality, her ambition – all these things make her a perfect ambassador for our brand. With a strong portfolio in football, running and motorsport, finding an inspiring partner for women’s training was very important. Rihanna was a natural choice for us. We’re delighted to have her as a partner, and we’re looking forward to what’s to come.”

Rihanna’s previous forays into fashion include working on underwear and jeans for Armani; co-designing a line for British store River Island with Adam Selman, who has created some her most dramatic red carpet looks; and creating two makeup collections for luxury cosmetics brand MAC.

One weekend in 1950, the French poet, artist and filmmaker Jean Cocteau, visited the villa of his friend Francine Weisweiller in Santo Sospir in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and decorated all the walls with a series of fantastical drawings, among them a star with eight points, an infinity sign, a treble clef eye, and a pair of Inca twin heads.

Now, French fashion brand Faconnable has appropriated these art works for a capsule collection bowing for Spring-Summer 2015.

Evoking the label’s French riviera heritage, the collection features a crisp color palette of navy and off-white, and weaves Cocteau’s distinctive iconography into both ready-to-wear and accessories including scarves, sunglasses, slip-on shoes, cuff links and pins. Cocteau’s motifs are embroidered onto, say, handsome mohair-linen double-breasted men’s jackets, or onto women’s dress, espadrilles and a bag.

The collection will be available in 19 of the world’s leading retailers, including Barneys New York, Selfridges London, Colette Paris, 10 Corso Como Milan, Lane Crawford Hong Kong, Club 21 Singapore, Tomorrow Land Tokyo, and Harrolds Sydney, among others.